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Letters: $1M cop payout is excessive

Multiple felony arrests, the result of a joint initiative to combat gang activity by street gangs in Hempstead and Uniondale, including narcotics trafficking, will be announced at a news conference Wednesday, July 8, 2015, Nassau County police said. This is a patrol car seen on Aug. 14, 2013. Photo Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara

The story "Million-dollar goodbye: Retiring village chief gets seven-figure payout" [News, May 26] is scandalous enough.

Although I'm sure the chief did a splendid job of keeping the lid on the mayhem in Old Westbury, the real scandal is that his very large monthly pension will be free from state taxes because he was a public employee.

My pension, which is much smaller, was negotiated by a private-sector union and is taxable after the first $20,000 each year.

I have been told that if I would like a tax-free pension, I should move to a state that respects all of its senior citizens, not just public employees. But I am settled here, my friends all live here, and I would like to stay. I think private-sector employees should get the same tax break.

Stuart Chamberlain, West Sayville

We have officially passed the point of insanity. How many readers of this article are crying out for this madness to stop?

The good news is that the Center for Cost Effective Government, of which I am executive director, has drafted a bill with Assemb. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James) to amend the state constitution to prevent overtime and sick days from being factored into an employee's pension.

While limits to these sweeteners were enacted for future hires, those savings will not be experienced for decades. Meanwhile, thousands of other employees already in the system who retire over the next 20 years will continue to inflate their pensions under this broken system. Fitzpatrick's amendment would end this abuse for existing employees.